By Terray Sylvester PAHOA, Hawaii (Reuters) – “Ballistic blocks” the size of microwave ovens shot from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano on Wednesday in what may be the start of explosive eruptions that could spew huge ash plumes and hurl smaller rocks for miles (km), the U.S. Geological Survey said. Such eruptions, last seen nearly a century ago, have been a looming threat since Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, erupted nearly two weeks ago. The explosive, steam-driven eruptions could drive a 20,000-foot (6,100-meter) ash plume out of the crater, hurl boulders the size of small cars up to half a mile (800 meters) and scatter smaller rocks over 12 miles (19 km), the USGS has warned.

Thousands of North Carolina teachers swarmed the state legislature on Wednesday to call for pay raises and more spending on schools, making the state the country’s sixth to be roiled by educators demanding better funding. Hundreds of teachers in red T-shirts filled a spectators gallery and chanted “remember, remember, we vote in November” as the Republican-controlled General Assembly started its session. The protest prompted at least 38 districts, representing more than half the state’s 1.5 million public school students, to cancel classes.

The sheriff’s deputy condemned by President Donald Trump for failing to confront the shooter who killed 17 people at a high school in Florida is receiving an almost $9,000 monthly pension, even though he resigned following the massacre. Scot Peterson, who was a school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland at the time of the shooting in February, was the first person to respond to the incident. Mr Peterson is receiving $8,702.35 a month from his pension, with the first payment having been received in April, according to the Florida Department of Management Services.

On Saturday, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will open its doors to the public, more than 10 years after France agreed to loan the name of the Louvre to the United Arab Emirates as part of a deal with Agence France-Museums reportedly worth in excess of $1 billion.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman was embroiled in controversy Tuesday after being photographed receiving an aerial image of Jerusalem that was edited to include an artist's impression of a Third Temple, instead of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock.